Pole for drying machines



April 21, 1931. B@ A. PARKEs- 1,801,452

POLE FOR DRYING MACHINES Filed Deo. 18 .1929

Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POLE non DRYING MACHINES Application led December 18, 1929. Serial No. 414,874.

My invention relates to a new and useful pole, particularly a pole adapted to be used in conjunction with or Aas part of the endless conveyor of a cloth drying machine,

over Which the cloth being dried is supported during its progress through the drying chamber. l

It has heretofore been the practice to form the endless conveyor of a drying machine of slats carried at their ends by moving sprocket chains with the loops of cloth being dried formed over and' suspended from said slats. f

This practice Was unsatisfactory for many V and obvious reasons and a'cylindrical pole having end Agears which were adapted to mesh with other stationary gears or toothed surfaces Was resorted to, the object being to Vshift the cloth With respect to the pole to produce more uniform and thorough drying of said cloth.

Poles ofthis character Were found to be unsatisfactory and expensive and to have a tendency torevolve intermittently regard-V less ofthe condition of the loop of cloth formed thereon, thereby causing damage to the cloth and to the drying machine.

It is the object of my inventionto produce a novel-pole of this character the construction of which is more durable, less expensive, and more eflicient, and one which will revolve intermittently to shift the loop of cloth only When the drying machine and the cloth being dried are in normal Working order. o l

To the above ends, my invention consists of a pipe, a rod extending through said pipe, knurled collars carried by and fast on the ends of said pipe, and longitudinal, semi-cylindrical hole sections clamped over said pipe, the ends of said rods protruding fr om said pipe being secured to travelling sprocket chains.

ing spaced, knurled racks adapted to coact With said knurled collars to cause intermittent rotation of said pole. c

My invention stilly further consists of va- 59 rious other novel features of constructionv My invention further consists in provid-.

and advantage, all as hereinafter described and claimed. Y

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred kby me, since the same liasbeen found in practice to give satisfactory and reliableA results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of Which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l represents a View, partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation, showing a pole construction embodying my'invention. l

Fig. 2 represents a diagrammatic vieW'il'- lustrating the use of the pole shown inL Fig. 1 inconnection with a conventional drying machine.

Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3-3 of Fig.A 1.

Referring to the drawings, in which sim-` ilar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, Ll designates a pole comprising the pipe 2, through Which extends the rod 3 and which carries at the ends thereof the apertured collars 4 Which are securedy fast to the pipe by theset screws 5. The ends of the rods 3 project through the end collars 4 and are secured by the bolts 6 to the sprocket links 7 forming part of thel sprocket chains 8 which travel over the sprocket Wheels 9 to form an endless conveyor, as Will be understood from Fig. 2.'

l0 designates springs confined between the .d

sprocketchain links 7 and the end Washers 11 toprovide the necessary yieldable play for maintaining proper alignment of the poles 1 forming the endless conveyor shown in Fig. 2.y Over the pipe 2 are clamped .the elongated semi-cylindrical sections 12 and 13 of Wood or other suitable material, which are fastened together by the Wire or other flexible element 14, in the groove 15, the ends of said sections 12 and 13 being seated within and engaged by the annular flanges 16 0f the end collars 4. The end collars 4 are provided with the knurled outer surfaces 17 which are adapted to engage the serrated upper surfaces of the racks 18 which are secured to the boards 19 and 20 by the bolt 21, said boards being in turnsecured to the block 23 and the angle iron 24 by the bolt 25. The angle iron 24 is secured to the side Wall 26 of a drying machine by means of the screw or its equivalent 27, as will be understood from Fig. 1.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated diagrammatically the function and purpose of my novel pole wherein I show sprocket chains 8 passing over sprocket Wheels 9 and carrying a plurality of poles 1 to form an endless conveyor for the cloth which forms in loops 28 over the poles 1. As the poles progress through the drying chamber it becomes necessary to shift the cloth loop 2S carried thereby in order to permit of the drying of that portion of the loop 28 which is in contact with the poles 1. For this purpose I provide the knurled racks 18, spaced at suitable intervals and adapted to engage the knurled collars 4 at the ends of the poles 1 to revolve the latter, thereby shifting the loops 28 carried by said poles.

By forming the poles 1 of my invention Olit of the semi-cylindrical sections 12 and 13 I eliminate the necessity of boring through a solid pole or introducing the inner rod 3, and by clamping the sections 12 and 13.by moans of the Wire 14 in the groove 15 I eliinate the use of nails or screws which tendit!) Work loose and damage the loops of cloth 28, and I avoid the use of glue which tends to soften due to the heat and humidity to which the poles 1 are necessarily subjected during the drying operation.

By providing my poles 1 with the knurled collars 4 engaging the serrated racks 18, I provide friction sufficient to cause the poles 1 to revolve under normal proper working conditions and I prevent the forced rotatioti'of the poles 1 when the loops 28 are entangled, thus avoiding all damage to the cloth which would otherwise result due to forced rotation of the poles 1 when such poles are equipped with gears which are adapted for positive engagement with correspondingly` toothed racks. In other words, ifone of my oles 1 rides over one of my racks 18, and t e particular loop 28 carried by saidk pole is in any way entangled, said pole will, due to the lack of positive engagement of its knurled end collars 4 with the corres onding knurled racks 18, merely slide over said racks Without any rotation or shifting of the cloth, all of which Would'not bel ible if there were positive engagement' 'tween the end collars 4i and the racks 18, aswould'be the case if said collars and'said racks were geared instead of knurled.

It is to be understood that the knurled collars 4 and the knurled racks 18 are used only to provide an amount of friction suflicient to effect a partial rotation of the poles Where everything is in proper order and to prevent such rotation when the cloth carried by said poles is entangled. It therefore follows that any other slightly roughened frictional element, such as collars or racks formed of leather, felt, duck or any other similar material may be used.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied' in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to beY considered in all respects as illustrative and not-restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by `Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character stated, a pole for a drying machine composed of elongated pipe sections, a transverse groove therein, fastening means embedded' in said groove, and friction collars enclosing. the ends of said sections.

2. In a device of the character stated, an endless apron for a drying machine composed of a plurality of poles, each comprising elongated pipe sections, a transverse groove therein and fastening means embedded in said sections.

3. In a device of the character stated, an endless apron for a drying machine composedof a plurality of poles, each compris ing'elongated pipe sections, transverse fastening means embedded in said sections, and knurled collars enclosing the ends of said sections.

4. In afdevicc of the character stated, an endless apron for a drying machine composed of a plurality of poles, each compris ing elongated pipev sections, transverse fastening means embedded in said sections, knurled collars enclosing the ends of said sections, and racks coacting With said collars.

5. In a device of the character stated, an inner pipe, a rod extending through said pipe and having its ends protruding be ond the ends thereof, externally knurled en collars fastened to the ends of said pipe, and outer elongated semi-cylindrical pipe sections clamped upon said inner pipe intermediate saidend collars.

6. In a device of the character stated, an inner pipe, exteriorly knurled end collars secured to the ends of said pipe, a rod extending through said pipe and havingits ends passing through and projecting beyond said collars, outer elongated pipe sections enclosing said inner pipe intermediate said collars, there being an outer annular groove in said pipey sections, and means seated in said groove for clamping said sections upon said pipe.

7 In a device of the character stated, an

inner pipe, externally knurled end collars secured to the ends of said pipe, a rod eX- tending through said pipe and having its ends passing through and extending beyond said collars, springs carried by the ends of 10 said rod adapted to bear on said collars, and

outer semi-cylindrical elongated pipe sections clamped upon said inner pipe intermediate said collars.

8. In a device of the character stated, an

inner pipe, externally roughened collars secured to the ends of said pipe, a rod extending through said pipe and having its ends passing through and extending beyond said collars, springs carried by the ends of said rod adapted to bear on said collars, outer semi-cylindrical elongated pipe sections clamped upon said inner pipe intermediate said collars, there being an outer annular seat in said outer pipe sections, and fastening devices engaging said seat.

9. The combination of a drying machine, endless sprocket chains therefor, an inner pipe, knurled collars secured to the ends of said pipe, a rod extending through said pipe,

having its ends passing through said collars and secured to the links of said chain, outer elongated pipe sections clamped upon said inner pipe intermediate of said collars, and transverse fastening devices embedded in said pipe sections.

l0. The combination of a` drying machine, endless sprocket chains therefor, an inner pipe, friction collars secured to the ends of said pipe, a rod extending through said pipe,

n) having its ends passing through said collars and secured to the links of said chain, outer elongated pipe sections clamped upon said inner pipe intermediate of said collars, transverse fastening devices embedded in said pipe sections, and friction racks adapted Y to engage said friction collars for intermittently revolving said pipe.

ll. The combination of a drying machine, endless sprocket chains therefor, an inner is pipe, knurled collars secured to the ends of said pipe, a rod extending through said pipe, having its ends passing through said collars and secured to the links of said chain, outer elongated pipe sections clamped upon said inner pipe intermediate of said collars, transverse fastening devices embedded in said pipe sections, knurled racks adapted to engage said knurled collars for intermittently revolving said pipe, and springs bearing m upon said collars.

BERTRAND A. PARKES. 

